UNESCO World Heritage Site

Old Havana and its Fortification System

Old Havana and its Fortification System is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cuba, inscribed in 1982.

Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. By the 17th century, it had become one of the Caribbean's main centres for ship-building. Although it is today a sprawling metropolis of 2 million inhabitants, its old centre retains an interesting mix of Baroque and neoclassical monumen

Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. By the 17th century, it had become one of the Caribbean's main centres for ship-building. Although it is today a sprawling metropolis of 2 million inhabitants, its old centre retains an interesting mix of Baroque and neoclassical monuments, and a homogeneous ensemble of private houses with arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards.

Country
Cuba
Region
North America
Category
Cultural
Inscribed
1982
UNESCO reference
204
Area
238.7 ha

View the official UNESCO listing

Counts are based on Zikzak's current UNESCO World Heritage dataset, sourced from UNESCO. Last updated 7 August 2026. UNESCO insights

Collections featuring Old Havana and its Fortification System

More UNESCO sites in Cuba